A teenage girl got two pieces of lead stuck in her eye after a classmate launched a pencil at her from the other side of the room.
The 13-year-old from Manchester, UK, only realised she had the pencil tip lodged in her eye when a mate pointed it out. She was then rushed to Manchester Royal Eye Hospital for emergency surgery.
Medics worked on the youngster to pluck both parts of tip from her right eye - one being just millimetres from her retina (the bit that converts light into imagery). Damage to that tissue can lead to blindness.
The MailOnline reports that the unnamed girl temporarily struggled to look directly at light initially but now she has fully recovered from the ordeal that took place three years ago.
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Now doctors have urged teachers, parents and children to be aware of the dangers that throwing pens and pencils can cause.
Writing in the British Medical Journal Case Reports lead author, Amreen Qureshi, said: "One in six of ocular perforation injury in children occurs when an object is thrown.
"If acquired vision loss from trauma in childhood is severe, it may cause life-changing differences to a child's education and future employment prospects."
Speaking about the day of the incident, the teen said: "At first I had not realised what had happened until my friend said I think you have something in your eye.
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"A pencil had been thrown from the front of the classroom to the back where I had been standing chatting to my friends.
"A part of the pencil had gone into my eye which must have happened so quickly as I had not really felt anything.
"I was told the pencil tip was just millimetres away from causing me instant blindness so I know how lucky I was."
Dr Qureshi and fellow medics carried out investigations, including tests where the girl was required to read letters from a board.
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The girl went on to add: "After the operation I could not see much out of my left eye at all but gradually my sight seemed to improve.
"When I first got home I did not like any lights on in my room as it was too bright for me.
"I still have a few stitches in the back of my eye and also at the front but they do not affect me in any way.
"I will be starting driving lessons in the next couple of weeks which I am really looking forward to."
Featured Image Credit: BMJ